Tag: DIY

Peru Vacation Horror Stories And How To Avoid Them

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To paraphrase, “It Happens”. If you are traveling independently things won’t always go according to plan on your Peru vacation and often the best you can hope for is that the disaster happens to someone else. However, you can always reduce your chances of being the unwilling star of an unfolding travel nightmare by learning from other people’s experiences or by having a Tour Operator take the strain. If you decide to go DIY here are 4 classics horror stories and advice to help you avoid a similar fate.

Please remember that 99 percent of people never encounter problems but as with any foreign country, forewarned is forearmed!

Horror story number 1. Peru moto-taxis – vehicles from hell

If a force of evil was ever represented through vehicles, it would probably look a lot like a moto-taxi. Many people think that the whole experience is thrilling and funny but for others it may not be. Speeding recklessly through traffic and polluting the air as much as four to five real cars, there is very little reason for their existence. To add to the fun, one unlucky traveller fell foul of a scheme where drivers partner up with thieves. A taxi drove past him slowly with two people inside; one hopped out and robbed him, afterwards jumping back into the moto-taxi which sped off.

How to avoid the horror: Tourists can avoid problems like these by traveling in authorized taxis taken from your hotel or the airport, having taxis pre-organised by your restuarants, staying clear of bad neighbourhoods and keeping valuables hidden in transit.

Horror story number 2. Peru Border crossings – from the frying pan into the fire

Another classic location for scams is when crossing between countries. In a common example, one couple was scammed crossing the border from Peru to Ecuador. They were told by someone who said he was from the only bus company that could take them across the border. He added that he could help them get the bus and the company was sending people to pick up travellers from the bus stations. Instead they were led on a merry dance to a market, then to a car park. Finally the scammers were ‘picked up by the police’, after which the couple had to pay the scammers several hundred dollars in order to ‘cover fines’.

How to avoid the horror: With the benefit of hindsight, the advice is to never trust or follow a stranger in a border area, and to make all decisions at a border slowly and cautiously, asking for opinions of multiple people. Better still have an organized crossing with a guide and your own transport.

Horror story number 3. Peru Hotel Experiences – the fine art of Peruvian customer service

Arriving late one night at the bus station an arranging to stay at a hotel with a double room, private bath and toilet, a couple were treated to a fine example of the dark side of Peruvian service. They arrived at the hotel and there was no room for them. They were forced to sleep on the floor of the common area with no privacy, take showers in the filthy workers room, and use the public restroom that had no mirror, soap, or light. They complained to the management, but it was no use. The owner said she did not speak English but during the conversation hid behind her associate and translated the conversation, saying in English at the end, “You are only two, millions come here.”

How to avoid the horror: Use websites such as tripadvisor.com to check out the real stories behind the glossy hotel brochures or select a travel agent to do the work for you. If you end up having a bad experience, you can take your revenge on the same pages to warn the “millions of others”. If you choose to book through a tour company that has well-established relationships with hotels, you will add that extra level of guarantee.

Horror story number 4. Climbing mountains the unpleasant way

One couple hired a guide to climb the volcano Chachani near Arequipa along with two other people. The mountain has a height of 6,000 meters and people need to acclimate themselves. The guide claimed to be of an international standard. However, the climb, which should have taken eight hours took them fourteen as the guide climbed extremely slowly and did not pay attention to the two other people who were not trained to climb such a height. He did not listen to the explanation of their struggles, and was very rude. This will definitely ruin your holiday!

How to avoid the horror: Ask other travellers for recommendations when selecting guides, or only hire guides from respected agencies. Also try to avoid the temptation to cut costs, especially if you are undertaking a potentially dangerous activity such as mountaineering or remote trekking. A better-paid guide will generally provide a better level of service.

Many of these problems come from independent travel, trying to move around too quickly with little preparation and trying to bring costs down to accommodate a small travel budget. A good alternative if you’re short on time is to book through a tour agency with a good level of local knowledge and a strong network of trusted tourism contacts. This way, you’ll only be reading Peru vacation horror stories, instead of writing them.

Rustic Restaurant Furniture – A New Restaurant Trend

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For perfect outfitting dining areas, restaurant owners give preference to the furniture that is durable, eye-catching and makes food lovers feel comfortable when dining. When it comes to giving a unique and classical look to all restaurants, restaurant owners pick rustic, vintage style and mid-century modern stylefurniture as their first choice. That is why rustic restaurant furniture and chairs are sweeping the US in a craze. After years of the same old thing, owners are beginning to differentiate themselves from their competitors by doing some radical and rural decoration. Twin Peaks is a good example of a restaurant chain that has an interior theme resembling a log cabin. There, you can find long community tables made of rustic yellow pine, sometimes made of entire slabs of solid wood. These tables can be distressed to resemble worm holes, chips, discoloration and abuse. As one restaurant owner puts it: the food business is competitive, you have to stand out or stand down.

Pine, in addition to other woods, such as cedar, is great for rustic restaurant furniture. The presence of pin holes and knots normally degrade the value of a wood, but the same characteristics are what make these wood species unique for restaurants. These woods also stain unevenly, which gives each table a high contrast of multiple colors when stained. Other wood species, such as maple or oak, have a very uniform and clean look which cannot be easily distressed.

Rustic restaurant chairs can also be distressed using the same method to create the old look. As in the example of twin peaks, they used a pine logs to create commercial grade restaurant chairs. Each piece has to be cut by hand, and then assembled piece by piece. This turned out to be quite expensive. A cheaper alternative is to buy used furniture, and distress DIY. Who cares how it looks because it is old anyways?

In comparison to modern furniture that is crafted with costly woods and modern carpentry tools and instrument, rustic restaurant furniture and chairs not only make a restaurant look different and eye-catching but also add a little cost to the pockets of restaurant owners when they think of having new furniture with a rustic and classic touch.

If you are thinking of buying custom and integrated furniture carrying the touch of traditional and classic furniture, the maker custom restaurant furniture American Hospitality Furniture can make a real difference to your furniture needs. It is noted that the company proudly markets many of its products are either made in USA or assembled in USA.